Sunday, 9 December 2012

The right to peaceful assembly is crucial in any democratic
society however on December the 8th 2012 this right was effectively ignored by
violent and confrontational police officers. By the time the young women was brutally
arrested in Aotea square the protest was well over the gathering in Aotea square
on the afternoon of December the eighth 2012 was more a public meeting as the
signs placards and banners had been packed away people were siting peacefully
in Aotea square when 50 police arrived and began to arrest people without any
reason to do so. People were instructed to move along and senior police
officers pushed and shoved anyone who refused to move causing complete chaos in
Aotea square

Right to assembly is crucial to any democratic society and
for police to attack people who are simply holding a quiet meeting in a public
space is unacceptable. Of all the police violence that occurred on December the
eighth 2012 this was by far the most shocking not in terms of violence but the
fact that a large number of police attacked a peaceful gathering in a public
place this sort of police conduct is simply unacceptable in a democratic
society.

The police remained near Aotea square in large numbers until
everyone who had been involved in the mornings protest had left. Having to
leave a public space for fear of being arrested is bad enough especially as no
laws had been broken. The police bulling and intimidation on December the 8th
2012 was not acceptable.